Apple has just unlocked a futuristic feature for AirPods Pro 3—real-time, in-ear translation. Imagine holding a conversation in another language while your earbuds instantly translate speech directly into your ears. This innovation brings Apple closer to seamless global communication, but language support still varies depending on whether you’re using AirPods Live Translation or the broader Apple Intelligence suite.
If you’re wondering which languages are available today, how they compare across Apple devices, and what you need to enable these tools, this guide breaks everything down.
Live Translation on AirPods Pro 3: Languages Available
At launch, AirPods Pro 3 offer Live Translation in just five languages:
- English
- French
- German
- Portuguese
- Spanish
Apple has confirmed that additional languages will be added over time, but for now, these five are the only ones available for real-time translation directly in your AirPods.
How It Differs from Apple Intelligence Language Coverage
While Live Translation on AirPods is still limited, Apple Intelligence—available across iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Vision Pro—supports a far broader language set. Current coverage includes:
- Chinese (Simplified)
- English (Australia, Canada, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, UK, US)
- French (Belgium, Canada, France, Switzerland)
- German (Austria, Germany, Switzerland)
- Italian (Italy, Switzerland)
- Japanese
- Korean
- Portuguese (Brazil)
- Spanish (Chile, Mexico, Spain, US)
This wider coverage means you can access writing tools, image features, and Siri enhancements in many more languages than what’s available on AirPods. However, in-ear Live Translation remains restricted to the five languages listed earlier.
Side-by-Side Language Comparison
Here’s a quick breakdown of supported languages across Apple’s platforms:
| Capability | Languages Supported | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Live Translation on AirPods Pro 3 | English, French, German, Portuguese, Spanish | Limited to five languages at launch; more planned. |
| Apple Intelligence on iPhone, iPad, Mac | Chinese (Simplified); English (AU, CA, IN, IE, NZ, SG, ZA, UK, US); French (BE, CA, FR, CH); German (AT, DE, CH); Italian (IT, CH); Japanese; Korean; Portuguese (Brazil); Spanish (CL, MX, ES, US) | Device and Siri language must match. |
| Apple Intelligence on Vision Pro | English (US) | Features currently limited to U.S. English. |
Requirements and Setup for Apple Intelligence
To enable Apple Intelligence features, you’ll need:
- Compatible Devices: iPhone 17, iPhone 16, iPhone 15 Pro/Pro Max, iPad with A17 Pro or M1 chip and newer, Mac with M1 or later, and Apple Vision Pro
- Software: iOS 18.1+, iPadOS 18.1+, macOS Sequoia 15.1+, visionOS 2.4+
- Settings: Device language and Siri language set to the same supported option
- Storage: At least 7 GB of free space for on-device AI models
Activation is done through Settings > Apple Intelligence & Siri on iPhone or iPad. Keep in mind: changing Siri’s language will temporarily disable Apple Intelligence until the new model downloads.
Key Feature Differences
Not all features are available in every language:
- Image generation and writing tools may be restricted by language.
- Vision Pro currently supports only U.S. English.
- ChatGPT-powered tools within Siri and Writing Tools depend on regional service availability.
What’s Next for Language Support?
Apple has confirmed that more languages and platforms are coming soon, with Vietnamese already announced as part of the upcoming expansion. As for AirPods Live Translation, Apple is expected to roll out additional languages gradually, so it’s best to check the latest coverage before relying on it for travel or business.
Final Takeaway
Apple’s AirPods Pro 3 Live Translation is a groundbreaking step toward effortless global communication, but it currently supports only five languages: English, French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish. In contrast, Apple Intelligence offers a much broader language range across iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Vision Pro.
If you need real-time translation in a language not yet supported on AirPods, you can still use the Apple Translate app’s conversation mode until Apple expands its coverage.
The bottom line: AirPods Pro 3 bring us closer to a world without language barriers, but for now, Apple Intelligence is still the stronger option when it comes to language diversity.
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